The present invention relates to automated laundry spreaders. In particular, a spreader for laying articles of laundry out flat is provided.
Many processes in laundries are automated. For example, machines in hotels spread out, iron and fold sheets without operator intervention. To begin the automated process, the operator identifies either corners or an edge of the sheet and places the corners or edge into the first machine. Since sheets have large dimensions with thin fabric, the sheets are often tangled together, necessitating either an automated separator machine or an operator for locating the edges or corners.
Since towels are smaller and thicker, towels may be less likely tangled after removal from a washing or drying machine. However in typical towel processing, an operator still grabs individual towels and places them on folding machines. Where possible, automated processes may save money over a period of time.
Machines for automatically grabbing towels from a load of towels and spreading the towels have been attempted, but find little commercial success. Typically, these machines attempt to isolate diagonal corners and then opposite corners. Such isolation can be difficult and inconsistent when implemented with a machine.
The present invention is defined by the following claims, and nothing in this section should be taken as a limitation on those claims. By way of introduction, the preferred embodiments described below include apparatuses and methods for spreading a towel from a load of towels. A trailing corner is clamped to isolate an edge of a towel where the edge is either along a fold in a towel or along an outer extremity of the towel. The towel is then flattened in a single or two layers using motion and gravity while being held along the identified edge. The same or a different trailing corner is then rotated such that a back outer extremity edge of the towel is perpendicular with a direction of movement of a conveyor. By clamping the back edge while continuing to move a downstream conveyor and blow air on the towel, the towel is flattened out. The spread towel is then passed downstream for further processing, such as folding. Each of the individual stages described above may be used in a different apparatus or used with or without other stages described above. Any of the overall structure, individual stages or combinations of individual stages in the embodiment below may provide advantages and be claimed independently herein.
In a first aspect, an apparatus for spreading a towel from a load of towels is provided. A pivot joint connects with a clamp and a frame. The clamp is operable to grab the towel. A drive is connected with the clamp so as to drive the clamp downward about the pivot joint. At least a portion of the towel is forced away from the clamp in response to the clamp being driven downward.
In a second aspect, a method for spreading a towel from a load of towels is provided. The towel is clamped. The towel is then rotated about an axis spaced away from the towel. The rotation is at least in part downward. The towel flattens in response to the rotation.
In a third aspect, an apparatus for spreading a towel from a load of towels is provided. A downstream conveyor is spaced from an upstream conveyor by a slot. The slot is narrow such that the towel is able to rest on both the upstream and downstream conveyors at a same time. A clamp is positioned to move in the slot between the two conveyors.
In a fourth aspect, a method for spreading a towel from a load of towels is provided. A towel is conveyed on two conveyors. An edge of the towel is clamped between the two conveyors. The clamped edge of the towel is moved closer to a side of the downstream conveyor such that another edge of the towel is positioned more perpendicular to the direction of travel of the downstream conveyor.
In a fifth aspect, an apparatus for spreading a towel for the load of towels is provided. At least two jaw points are positioned above an upstream conveyor. The jaw points are operable to press a first portion of a towel against the first conveyor. A blower is directed towards a second downstream conveyor. The downstream conveyor is operable to continue movement with a portion of the towel on the downstream conveyor while the first portion of the towel is held by the jaw points against the first conveyor. The blower is operable to direct air towards the towel while the downstream conveyor is moving and the jaw points are holding the towel at the upstream conveyor.
In a sixth aspect, a method for spreading a towel from a load of towels is provided. A towel is positioned on upstream and downstream conveyors. The towel is clamped on the upstream conveyor. The downstream conveyor continues to convey while the towel is clamped. The towel is also blown while the towel is
Further aspects and advantages of the invention are disclosed below in conjunction with the preferred embodiments